You are misunderstanding and I was certainly not misleading. By "best of Mao", I meant if she skates a perfect LP tomorrow, something like, or better than what she did in 4CC or at her Nationals. I was not in anyway calling her SP her best, although I thought she skated great. She didn't get her optimal score with her 3A being downgraded.

My point is her perfect LP tomorrow (Mao's Best) couldn't beat Mirai's perfect LP (Mirai's Best), if Mirai has as good a performance in her LP tomorrow as she did in her SP. And we know if Yuna has her perfect LP tomorrow (as in Vancouver) she can beat Mirai and Mao, although I agree with the majority opinion that it is unlikely Yuna will get that kind of score/perfornance since she doesn't seem to be in her best post-Olympics. No misleading going on here.

A Japanese commentator said Mirai's 3-3 was downgraded, too. Even more impressive that she got 70+!!! I don't really understand what people mean by her 'juniorish skating' because to me she's just so phenomenal. Fast, crisp, beautiful lines and posture, so quick to reach optimum positions like Cohen, her ina bauer is much more than just a transition feature, not to mention her spins and fire!

Her interview response with her cute broken Japanese was so charming!

I'm also glad to see ppl waved both American and Japanese flags for her. She has dual citizenship. On Japanese TV, they showed interviews of all the Japanese ladies, Yuna's in English, and Mirai in Japanese. I think it nice that she can take interviews in both languages. I thought her Japanese there just fine.

BTW, I like Mirai in a brighter color. Black goes well with her black hair, but that black costume is kind of heavy for her, esp. the skirt is heavy. They should at least use more airy material with more shimmers so that it just does not look all black. I think that she would look better in bright red or bright blue.

Re: juniorish comment, I think that her music choices could have been something else or this SP could have had more memorable choreos. But her choreos are not very interesting, compared to Rochette's, Yuna's, Miki's, Akiko's, or Laura's choreos, for example.

That said, she is a delightful skater and I have been a big fan since her debut, esp. her skating skills are superb. She has always been extremely fast and crisp. She does not have any weaknesses except for minor URs (the way it affects scores is not minor though; but that's not her fault).

For her program i havent much to say, I like Mao, she is light, she is fast (not the fastest but she is) , i like her spins, spirals, her finesse, her stretched legs, I just like watching her skate. The japanese fans want her to marry Kozuka! I want to be the bridesmaid!

I want to be one too! Mao and Kozuka should start dating~~. Actually, I do hope she finds a boyfriend because it will make her happier. TAT did say that falling in love will help her become more expressive in her skating, and that's the one of the few things I actually think TAT was right on.

I disagree with the judging for Yuna in the following three:
- Three judges gave Yuna's 3F plus GOE (one gave 2).
- Almost all the judges gave her step sequence plus GOE. She made a couple of mistakes and managed to go through with rather shallow edges towards the end.
- Her PE and IN.

I disagree with the judging for Yuna in the following three:
- Three judges gave Yuna's 3F plus GOE (one gave 2).
- Almost all the judges gave her step sequence plus GOE. She made a couple of mistakes and managed to go through with rather shallow edges towards the end.
- Her PE and IN.

Just what I was thinking. They tried as much as possible to hold her up and keep within striking distance.

I question the sanity (and competence) of the judges who gave Yu-Na the 8.5 and 8.25 for PE...and then proceeded to give Mirai PE in the 7 range. Were they watching the same event as I was?

Isn't Caroline Z. the only other skater who received all +3GOE for an element (her pearl layback)?

Don't know about Caroline Z's layback, but she might as well have! I'm happy the judges were willing to reward Mirai's layback, or any outstandingly done elements. I think there's room for improvement as to how GOE should be given but that's another story.

I think Miki was lucky not to receive an UR call for her flip. So despite being her fan, I feel ok about her not getting a Bronze. On another note, if her 2loop hadn't been DG-ed or she hadn't stumbled on one of her spins (the sit spin?), the Bronze would've been hers!

Yuna had an off night. I think of all the disciplines, PE is where that state should've been reflected, but obviously some judges disagree.